An Immortal Love
by Varmint
Summary: Tobirama and Hashirama are gods, rulers of their own domains. Kiba is a member of his kingdom's tracking corps, young but respected. And Jugo is a monster chained to Konoha's military; an indestructible force that can only be controlled by a select few. Their lives are meant to stay separate, never to meet. That is, until Hashirama's curious nature leads him to both humans. AU!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so I got this prompt from this one lovely reader named blue-hart. She asked for me to write a Tobirama/Jugo story and gave me just about free reigns on the whole thing. And I've kind of wanted to write a god and goddesses AU for a while now. So I was like: What better time to bring this idea out for a spin? Which is how this was born!

Updates will be slow, like with everything else of mine nowadays. University is insane. Fanfiction helps keep me somewhat sane.

This'll be more than just one chapter, but I'm not sure exactly how long it will be.

Pairings: Tobirama/Jugo, Hashirama/Mito, and Hashirama/Kiba

..~..~..

Tobirama was not the kind of god to sulk. Whenever something bothered him, he did his best to fix the problem he had been presented with. He was a successful god that always had a solution to any kind of trouble. No matter what his insufferable brother might try to say.

"This is not something you fix by glaring and moping, Tobirama! Trust me, little brother, I know _exactly_ what you need."

Hashirama, the god of nature, had a bad habit of not knowing when to shut up.

Having dealt with him for centuries now, Tobirama was more than used to his eccentricities. And he was knowledgeable enough to avoid most of Hashirama's more exorbitant moods most of the times. Although, sometimes, there was just no avoiding the older god.

"Itama and Kawarama agree. They wish to see you happy."

Quirking a stark white eyebrow at his brother's words, Tobirama frowned at his fellow god, "As happy as you were when you were tricked into your marriage with Mito?"

Upon hearing the difficult goddess' name, Hashirama blanched. But he soon waved Tobirama off, "That has nothing to do with what I'm proposing for you, brother! I'm not about to trick you like Butsuma did me!"

His brother rolled his eyes at the heated words.

Hashirama had been an idiot. There was no use trying to deny it. The god of the Forest was one of the dumbest deities to ever have received the breath of life and their father had taken advantage of that to try and keep himself safe. The old gods had all tried to trick the newer gods into giving up their new roles. But they had been fools that now found themselves kept within the domain of all that is dark.

Mito and Hashirama were now married, yes, and had procreated a fine group of demon spawn (not literally) that had then managed to create even more children. Which, Tobirama couldn't be too angered by. For if it had not been for Tsunade having given the new (now somewhat old) gods the idea of molding mortal creations out of the elements they held control over, then there would not have been much enjoyment to be found in the world.

Humans were rather odd, yet interesting creatures. Tsunade and Hashirama called them cute. Tobirama merely used them for tributes and the odd moment of entertainment before he had to return to his tenuous work.

"Brother, please, there really is no need for you to try and get involved in the matters of my life." The sea god breathed out in the hopes of making Hashirama listen, even though he knew the god would not.

"But there is _all_ the need!" Hashirama smiled broadly, clapping his hands loudly.

Somewhere in the world, an earthquake rattled through the peace of a calm forest and caused an encampment of humans a great amount of grief and casualties. But Hashirama, at the moment, did not care for that. It was just the way of the world for the earth to release its stresses in some manner. His excitement had just created a rather large rift that would not have appeared naturally. No harm done, really. Now that area of the world wouldn't need another earthquake for quite some time.

"I shall find you a proper partner, brother of mine! I swear to it!"

Before Tobirama could threaten him to get that crazed idea out of his brother's mind, the older god was gone in a flurry of leaves and wind.

Alone in his watery kingdom, Tobirama could not help but shake his head in exasperation. His brother was much too annoying sometimes. Almost as excitable as the humans he so loved.

* * *

He had been a monster for as long as he could remember.

Ever since the first time he had opened his eyes, all he had known was pain and death. The only scent that had ever truly filled his nose had been blood. He had been brought into the world to kill and the first years of his life had been spent getting rid of those that opposed his family.

One day, as he had accompanied his mother on a raid of the rival clan they had almost wiped out, Jugo had seen the ocean for the first time. And a new scent had filled his nose, one he would not smell again in a long time. _Fresh_. As a three year old, he had marveled at the vast expanse of blue that was the ocean as the roaring waves crashing into a sandy shore drowned out the screams of their enemies.

Salty sea breeze and a lulling serenity lulled him to a peaceful doze.

And then his world was plunged into bloodshed once more when his mother came back for him and took him back home.

Violence, blood, and death were his only companions until his family finally died. He wasn't proud of this. Wasn't proud of being happy of his whole clan having been wiped out. But he was finally able to breathe without the pungent scent of _copper_ filling up his nostrils. And he hadn't been allowed that reprieve in _years_. Could barely remember that fateful visit to the beach of so long ago. He was proud that he finally didn't have to _kill_.

If he were a thinker, Jugo would question if his family's death had been any good. Because, even though he wasn't surrounded by blood anymore, he certainly wasn't living a good life. Not as the captured weapon of the Kingdom of Konoha. He woke up in a cell, ate in a cell, slept in a cell... Did _everything_ in his cell. Unless there was a battle that needed to be won, of course.

Only ten years old and he was treated as if he were a monster that had crawled straight from the pits of hell...

He couldn't blame his handlers, though. He was terrified of _himself_. So it wasn't as if he could feel annoyed when others were scared of him.

His whole family had been like him. At the smallest provocation, they became _demons_. Monsters that could never be killed. The only way his clan had been defeated had been by... Well... He wasn't sure. No one had told him. But it had killed them one by one, taking first the biggest and strongest members of his family before moving down to the youngest and smallest. And the only reason he had been allowed to live had been because the monarch of Konoha had decided to keep him around as an ace in the hole. With him in their ranks, Konoha would never lose any other war.

Blood wasn't the only thing he smelled any more. There was the odd smell of humidity always present in his cell, along with rot and an odd floral kind of smell shoes source he could never find. And his food certainly wasn't fit to be eaten by the monarch, but it was properly cooked and usually smelled delicious.

Every now and again he would be forced out of his cell to win a battle for Konoha, but blood was barely a smell that bothered him. As long as it didn't overpower any other scents in his life, Jugo would not mind. Especially because the blood barely ever appeared any more. And when it did, it was only for a few hours. Never more than a day.

Life wasn't perfect. But he was alive. And he was allowed to be himself, read and gaze to his heart's content, without anyone telling him that he needed to train to become stronger. He was stronger than anyone living in the world at the moment, after all. Except for the Uchiha, of course. But because they were allied with Konoha, he would never have to fight them. And as long as he could live in peace outside of the battle zones, Jugo would be happy.

He was pretty happy to continue in his life of sporadic slaughter. So he didn't mind it when his main handler, Itachi Uchiha, walked into his cell. Nor did he mind when his younger brother, the shinobi that would take up keeping Jugo in place while his older brother went off on a mission or another, walked in to tell him that his services were required.

Their family's gift ensured that neither male would get hurt by him. So Jugo didn't mind it at all when he was asked to follow them.

And as he was chained up and dragged behind Itachi, Sasuke following behind him while a squadron of Inuzuka scouted out their surroundings, Jugo had felt an odd kind of familiarity. Only one member of the canine partnered squadron was left with him and the Uchiha. His sole purpose was to sniff out any kind of threats that might attack them from behind.

He was used to the buzz before a battle. And he knew that as long as he was pointed in the right direction, he would be allowed to finish reading his story in no time.

But a sudden earthquake had ruined his peaceful haze. Their small battalion was forced to separate, a large rift forming in the middle of the forest to forcibly separate them.

The cart that held his chains went one way, the Uchiha that were supposed to care for him went another.

And soon all Jugo was left with was the chains wrapped around his body, a large gap that seemed to not have an end separating him from his handlers, and one Inuzuka straggler by his side.

For the first time in a long time, Jugo felt fear overcome him. Because for the first time in his _whole life_ he would need to keep his temper under control. There was no one else with him that would do it for him.

He could feel the fear that radiated from the young Inuzuka with him. But he just continued to stare up at the newly created cliff where he had once stood on, much too far for any of them to try and climb. And much too far because of this rift to even get to.

Jugo had no words for what he had just witnessed. For only a truly powerful being could have caused such a rift in the _ground_. So either the fates had turned against him or there was a powerful enemy nearby, ready to attack.

He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready for the sudden loss of his Uchiha handlers. Because for the first in his whole life, he was loose. And whenever he was allowed freedom, the smell of blood always permeated his body.

* * *

His mother and sister were gone from sight. Kiba Inuzuka did not know if he would ever see them again. And this thought caused quite a bit of grief to strike his heart. But the heart that truly paralyzed him was the one that struck him as soon as he turned to look at the damage that had befallen on the cart he had been following.

The orange haired weapon they had been transporting to the battlefield was with him. The most volatile creature to ever life was only a few feet away from him, strewn along the floor in a heap that was much too _human_ for a thing as monstrous as it.

There were always whispers of fear to be heard at all times around Konoha. More likely than not, they dealt with the weapon they had acquired from the destruction and total annihilation of a clan of savages that had once threatened the stability of the newborn kingdoms.

As a young child, Kiba had heard of the bloodthirsty cannibals that roamed in a large family unit. A clan of volatile individuals that were quick to anger and rejoiced in the spilling of blood. He'd been taught to fear them in order to be able to save himself if ever he came to confront them. And as he'd grown up and trained to become part of the kingdom revered Inuzuka Canine Corps, Kiba had done his best to keep in mind how truly terrifying the last member of this cannibalistic clan could be.

Never would he have thought he'd be chosen to be part of the caravan transporting the weapon. But he'd risen in the ranks rather quickly, almost as efficiently as Itachi Uchiha himself, and he was a valued member of the tracking unit already. Lord Minato had deemed him a perfect fit for this easy mission, one that wasn't supposed to take more than a few weeks.

A simple mission... Head into the war torn kingdom of Kiri, destroy all that opposed the current monarch, and head back home... They had just been going to support their allies' government.

Now, though, because of an unforeseen earthquake, they would not be able to complete that mission. Kiri's monarch would be deposed. And if Kiba didn't play his cards right, he'd die in a brutal manner he didn't even want to think of.

The weapon slowly picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself off. And he turned his back quickly onto Kiba, turning his attention immediately towards the large gap that separated Kiba from any kind of back up.

Somehow, by some true force of nature that was beyond him to be able to understand, the ground had broken and become disleveled. The ground where they had once been on was now far away in both distance and height. Somehow, the ground had managed to _grow_... Kiba didn't understand it... But he didn't question it either. Sometimes, in this world, odd occurrences weren't worth breaking one's mind over. Sometimes, people just needed to accept things blindly.

Night was falling.

This forest was teeming with predators that could pose a real threat to him and Akamaru. Not to the weapon, though. Never to him.

"We..." The teen cleared his throat to try and catch the weapon's attention, although he kept his tone light to make sure to not anger him. "We should go and find shelter."

The weapon didn't question him. Instead, he only picked up the remains of his chains and began to limp his way towards Kiba.

The Inuzuka did his best to keep from flinching as the weapon neared him, then swallowed heavily and turned his back to the other male. It was dangerous and all of his instincts screamed at him to turn back around and keep an eye on him. But Kiba was the one that knew the layout of the forest the most between the two of them. And he couldn't risk any harm coming to the weapon- if not for the village's sake, then for his own.

Finding shelter wasn't difficult. Near the spot where their caravan had been separate, they were able to find a small cave. And Kiba ushered Jugo and Akamaru inside, eyes set on the horizon. The sun lowered slowly, almost mockingly, as if to taunt Kiba to its fullest extent.

"We'll need to find food."

Their supplies had been lost to the newly created chasm. Just like their horses. And the wheels had shattered upon impact. So the cart was completely useless at this point, reason why Kiba hadn't even bothered to look at it before they'd left the spot of their separation.

Jugo remained silent and tension fell over them quickly enough.

The air was thick and Kiba _hated_ it.

He knew that it was risky to leave the weapon alone. Because everyone else was much too far to come and rescue them, he was to keep watch over their kingdom's most valued treasure. Even though it didn't seem like the weapon had noticed it, Kiba was more than aware of his limp when he walked. A limp that he would bet had roots in a broken or even shattered ankle. The weapon didn't look as if he were in pain, though. And from the way he didn't question or bother Kiba at all, the Inuzuka wagered that he hadn't even noticed it yet.

Noticed or not, though, that ankle was a casualty that could not be ignored. And the weapon couldn't go far on that foot.

"Akamaru will stay with you to keep you safe."

"But..." The weapon faltered, eyes shooting up to Kiba's for a fraction of a second before they fell onto the floor once more. "Is that... Is it safe? I mean, leaving your dog with me... I could hurt him..."

Kiba knew Jugo could _kill_ his partner. He was not blind to this fact. But they both had a duty to their home. And if anything happened to the weapon under their watch, Akamaru and Kiba would both be hunted down by their village for the rest of their lives.

"He can take care of himself." Kiba offered a confident smile he didn't even _feel_ , "Stay in here, yeah? I'll be right back- Don't worry."

Before Jugo could try and stop him, Kiba ran off. Because if he didn't force himself to leave right then, he knew he never would.

* * *

Hashirama was busy looking for his brother's perfect match when he found himself falling in love.

A wild human that was so in tune with nature that the forest seemed to gravitate towards him. The branches of the trees swayed towards his body, as if to try and grasp him as he ran past them. And the wind itself moved to propel him forward, as if urging him to continue on his path.

It wasn't every day that his domain accepted a human so enthusiastically. So it was only natural for Hashirama to leave his quest of sorting through the gods and goddesses of his home to be able to look into this odd human. For he had quite some time to be able to find his brother's best match. He didn't have to rush any kind of decisions.

Humans like these... Hashirama had never met one that was accepted so easily by the flora.

So the god found himself following after him as the tattooed male jumped from one branch to another. Quietly, he watched the human scan over his territory in search of... Hmm... What could it be that this human might be looking for?

Hashirama wondered for a few seconds. But then he snapped his fingers and smiled when he remembered that, unlike himself, humans needed _food_ to survive. And from the way this human was looking through his home with his right hand grasping the weapon in his hand tightly- what was that? a bow?-, Hashirama guessed that this might be what he was looking for.

His intrigue in the human was piqued.

He moved gracefully, unlike anyone the god had ever seen before. Never before had humans been able to replicate the fluidity of a god's movements. But this one odd human, someone that didn't even seem like he belonged in the middle of the forest from his attire, although the grace in his movements spoke otherwise, was _mesmerizing._

Without a second thought, Hashirama summoned for a small family of rabbits to come out of their dens. They had hidden as soon as they had heard the human's steps, but they would not dare go against their god's wishes.

With the skill of a true hunter and the efficiency that no human should be allowed to possess, the male sent an arrow through each of the rabbits' eyes. And soon he was smiling softly at the four rabbits he now had to carry.

Hashirama found himself smiling in turn. Because, for some reason beyond him, his heart began to _pound_ at the sight of this smiling face. And soon all thoughts in his mind were of keeping said smile on the human's face.

Tobirama was a mere shadow in his mind at this point.

"Now to bring them back to the weapon..."

The smile was gone. And Hashirama's own mood fell in response to the human's, causing the forest to become colder than it should have. It was clear it had become too cold from the way the human began to rub at his hands every now and again as he strung the rabbits together to carry them better. But Hashirama couldn't stop himself from feeling bad.

He wanted to see the human _smile_.

With this single thought in mind, Hashirama followed the human back to wherever it was that he had come from. For, even though he had been eager to help his younger brother finally find a partner in love, he was now much too enraptured in the human that moved like an immortal.

..~..~..

Rare pairings are my life and blood, apparently. I just keep cranking 'em out without much difficulty. Hope you all liked it! Please remember to review!


	2. Chapter 2

The graceful human ran into a small cave that was hidden amongst the foliage, a perfect place to keep from being seen.

Immediately Hashirama began to wonder why a human as wonderful as him would have to hide anything. This was the kind of person that deserved to be brought out and into the sun so he could shine to his brightest. Not hide in the darkness where no one would be able to admire the true beauty he held within.

But then, once he crept closer to the cave, he could see that the human was not hiding something about himself. He did not turn into some hideous creature or lost his body, didn't shed his skin to become a greater creature. Instead he just greeted a large, white dog with a bright smile, and then nodded over to another, much larger, human with shocking orange hair.

There was a type of urgency in the smaller human's whole stance that made the god begin to wonder just what kind of monster this creature must have been. For someone that moved so fluidly with nature wasn't one that was easily scared. To trust nature was something short of impossible for the feeble creatures known as humans. They were unwilling subjects of the gods' moods. And while many even refused to admit how truly scared they were, it was no secret that all humans feared what they did not know. Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had all ensured that they would be like this when they had first been molded from Tsunade's clay.

This young human was different, though. And it was breathtaking.

Hashirama had never wanted someone as much as he wanted this human in so long... The last had been a god of pure fire, much too explosive for his nature affinities. Alas, whenever they came together, the forests of the world would burn down because of their passion. Volcanoes would erupt, causing massive damage all around the Earth. The very ground would tremble and break apart, plunging hundreds of thousands of creatures to their deaths.

This was the reason why Butsuma had married him off to Mito. Not just to keep himself safe. But to keep their passions from ending the world he and his familiars had worked so hard to create.

Mito was not a bad goddess to be married to. She tolerated him much better than other goddesses might have. And she was not hard to love either. But Hashirama's heart had not been lit by her beauty as it had with his past love. That flame of passion had never been nurtured by Mito… but it was burning up right now, a roaring flame forcing it to grow with the burning love that had been lit from just one look at the human.

It was odd to think that this might have been how he had felt eons ago when first in love with Madara. His memories, although reinforced by the strength of the mind of a god, felt as if they paled in comparison. He was sure that, in the past, this was exactly how he had felt. But now, living in the moment, he felt as if there was no way he'd ever felt like this before.

When the beautiful human began to struggle to light a fire, Hashirama drifted into the cave and breathed onto the sticks that had been gathered, drying them instantly. And they sparked up immediately, causing a wonderful smile to break out on the young one's face.

It was such a beautiful smile... Hashirama wanted to see it more and more.

Quietly, he remained unseen behind the humans. He ghosted behind the one with the marks on his face, amazed and intrigued by all of his movements.

He could see the large dog's eyes on him. They followed him, wide and disbelieving. But because he remained behind his master (at least that's what Hashirama assumed after seeing the animal jump on him and lick his face excitedly), neither of the humans questioned him. They most probably thought that the animal was just staring at his own master. Even though he, truly, was just shocked to see a god with his own eyes.

Humans were the only creatures on the living plane that couldn't see them. Orochimaru had done this on purpose, to keep the humans from growing too smart or too close to the gods. For, if they were close to the gods, saw them with their own eyes, loved them as friends, they would eventually revolt. Misunderstandings would eventually arise, for they would want to see if the gods truly were as powerful as they insisted they were. By remaining hidden, they were able to keep the humans respectful, humble, and fearful. By not being seen by them, yet punishing those that enraged them and gifting those that earned their graces, the gods were able to keep them in line.

Hashirama was not completely certain if it was necessary to keep them so ignorant. The shimmer that covered their eyes to twist reality and create a duality in the lives of all who lived, both godly and human, seemed a bit like overkill. For Hashirama believed that the humans deserved to know about them. Deserved to see who they prayed to, who loved them unconditionally... that did not matter now, though. What mattered was the human with the red fangs on his cheeks.

"You have a beautiful master." He whispered into the large dog's ear as the fire in the center of the dark cave crackled almost as bright as the one within Hashirama's heart.

The beautiful male was dozing off, head lulling up and down with every breath he took. His back was rested against his large companion and Hashirama fought the urge to reach out and touch him. For if he did, he'd be seen by the human. And he wasn't sure if he was ready for introductions just yet. The other human, the one with the orange hair, rested against the wall, eyes wide yet glassy. It was as if he were in a dreamlike state, but not fully asleep.

"I hope you do not mind, but I wish to make him mine."

Soft growling began to reverberate around the cave, causing both humans to seize up and look at the dog. But Hashirama merely smiled comfortingly, patting the canine's head. "He will be cared for, young one. Just as you would be. And the other human, if it is so desired. I am a god of love and nature, pup. I love all creatures. And I would never willingly hurt those that do not deserve it."

The growling immediately ceased upon the god's hand stroking the animal's fur. And Hashirama couldn't help but feel his heart swell in excitement for, if this dog cared so much about his master, then the human must truly be an amazing soul. Dogs, even though they were bred to be a human's best friend, were still subject to loving gods more for their inherent kindness and lack of ruses. If this dog would growl at a god to keep his human safe, then the human must truly be worth a god's anger.

* * *

It was odd that he had been able to find such a succulent family of rabbits as he had hunted. This part of the known lands was filled with harsh terrain and wary animals that sprinted at the very sound of footfalls that weren't one of their own. But Kiba found himself thanking whatever god it was that had decided to pity him enough to help him out and returned as quickly as he could to the cave where he had left the weapon.

He wasn't all that eager to go back to the dangerous individual. But he knew that he couldn't just leave the weapon alone. If he did, he risked the other male getting hurt. And if he got hurt... Then Kiba _knew_ he wouldn't live to see another day. The weapon would destroy everything in his reach. First he would start with the cave, then the forest outside, including any and all animals. _Nothing_ would survive.

So his mood darkened slightly as he had returned. And it had continued in low spirits as he cooked the meal he would have to split three ways, rather than the usual two.

Akamaru's sudden and unexplainable growling had just made him feel as if he were caught in a deadly situation he wouldn't be able to escape from.

Well, in reality, he _was_ caught in such a situation. But for his dog to suddenly act so out of character... Well, it only made Kiba's paranoia worsen.

Before Akamaru had begun to growl, Kiba had managed to allow himself to feel so tired he thought he may just be able to fall asleep. The weapon had not done anything to make him completely untrusting of his actions, and he highly doubted he'd be able to get pissed off while they slept. So he'd hoped to be able to get a good night's sleep, even with the imminent threat looming nearby.

But after Akamaru had growled so harshly, Kiba had not been able to fall asleep. He had not been able to close his eyes for more than a few seconds, seeing how images of bloodied and broken bodies began to fill his imagination, quickly forcing him back into an attentive and distrusting pattern.

The weapon slept heavily and barely made a single noise as it did so. But Kiba refused to think that he may be harmless, for he knew the true danger that rested within that body.

Instead of dreaming, Kiba began to think up of possible routes to embark on.

He wouldn't be able to leave the weapon behind. He needed to get him back to Konoha, safe and sound, no matter what. It was a rule that every single warrior learned as soon as they joined any kind of body of those that protected their kingdom: if ever the weapon was in a situation where it might be lost, they were to do everything in their power to return it.

So they would need to start to return to Konoha. Finishing their mission of suppressing the uprising in Kiri was not going to be completed, not without an Uchiha handler to maintain control over the weapon's violent nature.

By the time morning came around, with the sun shining in through the mouth of the cave, Kiba was set on what they were to do. Because of this, when the weapon first opened its eyes, he smiled as convincingly as he could and offered him a kind "Good morning".

For a few seconds, the weapon had seemed stunned. But then he'd nodded, offered a rather small smile of his own, one that barely grazed his lips and seemed more like a curl of the corner of the lips than anything, and said his own greetings.

After this, Kiba had explained what would happen. They would embark on an adventure to return to Konoha as quickly as possible, for they were still needed in Kiri.

Luckily, the weapon did not argue at all with him. When Kiba told him they needed to move, the orange haired male nodded and stood up. And he followed the Inuzuka without any true arguments, something that made Kiba extremely grateful.

At least he would survive for the next few minutes.

* * *

Jugo enjoyed being around the Inuzuka's canine companion. Akamaru was an interesting dog with an ability to communicate with humans much more finely tuned than many other animals he'd ever met before.

They'd managed to talk quite a bit while his master was away. During that time, Jugo had learned a lot about Kiba.

He was an interesting male; one of the youngest members of the Tracking Corps to ever rise up in such a quick manner that he'd managed to give Itachi Uchiha's own rise through the ranks a run for its money. Aside from that, Akamaru spoke highly of Kiba Inuzuka, saying that he was kind and loyal; he never allowed any dog he met to go without food. So he had a good heart.

Jugo wished _he_ had a good heart.

Akamaru had seemed to take to him, though, after he'd explained about himself, his family, their curse, their pain. Even though he still didn't allow Jugo to pet him, he had moved a tiny bit closer to him, as if showing off that he wasn't completely terrified of him anymore. He was still a tad bit afraid to die. But Jugo couldn't fault him for that.

Inuzuka supposedly had extremely strong connections with their dogs. Jugo had once heard rumors of how they were equal partners; the dogs were never any less than the humans. And that they were able to communicate without difficulty, as if they were able to spea, as normally as two humans would.

Akamaru had explained, though, that they weren't able to communicate through words. No human could understand the language of animals; except for Jugo, apparently. No, the Inuzuka were able to communicate through familiarity and friendship. It wasn't something he could explain. But what he thought, Kiba would mostly know. He wouldn't know extreme specifics; Akamaru would tell him long and complex sentences, but he'd only understand the core meaning of the message.

The night had been odd, Akamaru had been growling about an intruder, even though Jugo had not been able to see anybody. Then, as soon as his growls had begun, they had ceased and the dog had apologized for the false alarm.

Jugo had found this extremely weird. Dogs weren't the kind to see things that weren't there, especially not the famed Inuzuka's tracking dogs. But he'd allowed Akamaru to think that he believed him, all the while he'd begun to wonder just what in the world could be seen by dogs but not by either him or Kiba Inuzuka.

With his chains in his arms and a limp he was barely conscious about, Jugo followed after Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru at a somewhat sedated pace. Both members of the Tracking Corps were moving swiftly through the trees, but they would take turns in staying with Jugo. He wasn't sure why they did this, they would get much farther much faster if they didn't wait up for him. But he didn't mind it whenever it was Akamaru's turn to be with him.

Whenever Kiba Inuzuka was by his side, he could _smell_ his fear. And, in all honesty, it was a somewhat intoxicating smell. It made his blood begin to flow faster; his heart begin to pump quicker. But with a couple of deep breaths, Jugo was able to force himself to calm down.

He could not allow himself to lose control. Not now. Not with an ally that had given him food. Not with Akamaru around.

They traveled for the whole day. From the dark cave they had first taken cover in, the Tracking Corps members had found a way to get to some heavy and dense forestry that had soothed Jugo's rising lust.

Nature and animals were always the best when it came to calming him. People and artificial cities were best to incite him.

"Okay. From what Akamaru and I have managed to scout, this should be a perfect place to stop and rest. We skipped lunch and I'm sorry about that, but we needed to get as far from the cave as possible. Our smashed caravan wasn't far from it; enemies might have spotted it already." Kiba explained in a rushed manner, but Jugo was not sure to who it was that he was speaking.

Was he trying to calm Jugo? Or reassure himself?

With a stiff nod, Jugo looked over at the clearing the Inuzuka's had managed to find. It was a rather big spot, full of life and beauty.

Jugo loved it.

"Like last night, Akamaru'll stay with you. I'm gonna go hunt."

Jugo was grateful for that, he was beginning to feel like his stomach was eating away at him… maybe he should have asked for food earlier… being too hungry wasn't good for him when it came to keeping himself under control.

Kiba offered a shaky, tense smile and then he jumped away to fetch more food.

Jugo lugged his heavy chains with him as he walked to sit down at the base of a large tree. It had a thick trunk, perfect for him to recline on without feeling as if he would fall.

Akamaru walked up to him and sat down a couple of inches away from him, far enough to run away if any danger arose, but near enough to assure Jugo that he was somewhat trusted.

As he was lulled to the tune of a dozen different forest creatures singing their unique songs, Jugo felt a new presence enter the clearing.

But it was not Kiba Inuzuka.

* * *

Tobirama had not wanted his brother dealing with any aspect of his life. Because, really, everything about his life was perfect. There was no need for him to change anything, seeing how nothing was damaged or bad.

After his brother appeared in his domain to promise him that he would find him the love of his life, Tobirama had tended back to his duties. His brother was a rather fickle creature- he wasn't known for keeping his sights set on a single target for too long.

But after two earthly days had passed since his brother had left, Tobirama began to worry.

The idiot actually _was_ trying to find him someone. And that meant that Tobirama would have to clean up the mess only a god like Hashirama was able to create.

Following after him had not been difficult. Although it had been hard leaving his domain in the hands of the minor water gods and goddesses that served under him, Tobirama _knew_ that he _had_ to follow after his brother if he wanted to avoid the major catastrophe the older god would undoubtedly stumble into.

Hashirama left something akin to a mess wherever he went. In reality, the mess left behind was a trail of revelers of his domain that rejoiced in the god's sudden appearance. And following this trail of over elated animals and plant life was never difficult; Hashirama had never been the kind to deprive some of his subjects while he graced others with his presence. He was rather 'just' when it came to letting the creatures of his domain know how much he loved them.

Tobirama found his need to spread this love to every single corner of his domain to be rather stupid, but he did not try and tell Hashirama how to do his job. Just as Hashirama did not meddle with many of Tobirama's own choices… except for the one of love.

His brother was a headache. There was no other way Tobirama could put it. He'd always been a headache when compared to the rest of Butsuma's children and it seemed that just like the humans he so loved, bad habits didn't necessarily die for the nature god.

Through a great deal of his brother's realm Tobirama found himself having to travel. But when he finally reached his location, it was to find the idiot revealed to the human before him.

"So, would you come with me? I promise you and your companions a life full of riches and-"

"Brother!"

Tobirama stepped forward and interrupted his brother by pulling him back into the shadows, keeping himself hidden and forcing his brother to conceal himself once more.

The dark haired god blinked for a few seconds as he made sense of the sudden change of scenery, but soon smiled broadly at his brother.

"Tobirama! Have you come to aid me in my quest?"

"You mean in your foolish wish to find me a lover?" Tobirama sneered, only to look over at the orange haired human his insufferable brother had been talking to. "You were _not_ thinking of having me court a human."

The lack of spark within his brother's eyes for the following seconds alerted Tobirama to Hashirama not understanding just what it was that he had been talking about. But before he could truly call him out on this, Hashirama was wrapping his arm around his shoulders and pointing at the human he had been talking to.

"I _was_ thinking of _just that_ , Tobirama! Look at him! He's perfect for you!"

"Brother, what were you thinking of-"

His brother was avoiding his question. This allowed Tobirama to know that he had not, in fact, been thinking of offering this human up for him to be courted. His mind had been occupied by another thought, not one of even helping his brother. But he was so bullheaded that he would undoubtedly not admit to it.

"Now, Jugo! Meet your suitor! There are quite a few perks to following me, you see. And the sea god would be your greatest gift."

Tobirama's eyes grew wide as he felt Hashirama pulling him towards the human, all the while the effects of the shimmer being forced away from him began to allow the human to see him as well, "Brother, don't you dare!"

But his shout had come too late.

Before an orange haired human male and a large white dog, Tobirama found himself forced to reveal himself because of his brother's stupidity.

Sometimes, he truly wondered just why he put up with his brother.

~..~..~

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please remember to review and tell me what y'all think!


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